So, I've bored a number of you with photos of this old rusting Cadillac sedan, parked picturesquely in front of a barn in rural Illinois. It sat there for at least five years, probably longer, occasionally moving around a bit as the owner moved his boat in and out of the barn. I've literally shot thousands of photos of this car, stopping whenever I happened to drive past, sometimes testing out some new gadget or technique I picked up. Seriously, though, four digits.
Anyway, long story slightly longer, I found out earlier this evening that the old Caddy's gone, leaving behind a rectangle of bare dirt in the lawn. I can only hope that the owner finally got around to restoring it, but most likely he sold it on.
What's to become of Fading Glory? I've no idea, but I leave you with this, the last photo I took of her, back in May.
Showing posts with label abandoned car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label abandoned car. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Farm Fresh
The term "barn find" has come to mean some sort of old car that's been sitting, forgotten, for a number of years, to the point where nobody's sure where it is or how long it's been sitting. But they're not always in barns anymore-garages, warehouses, old gas stations, and garden sheds are all typical hiding places.
Sometimes, though, you get a literal barn find. This '62-ish Chevrolet coupe has been sitting for a good long time, in a ramshackle grain crib in rural Illinois. I have no idea if this is a rare car, with a big block and a four speed or something, but the skinny tires sort of make me think it's packing a straight six and a three on the tree. Nevertheless, this would be a neat car, restored. Whether it could be I don't know.
Sometimes, though, you get a literal barn find. This '62-ish Chevrolet coupe has been sitting for a good long time, in a ramshackle grain crib in rural Illinois. I have no idea if this is a rare car, with a big block and a four speed or something, but the skinny tires sort of make me think it's packing a straight six and a three on the tree. Nevertheless, this would be a neat car, restored. Whether it could be I don't know.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Monday, October 22, 2012
Rusty Gold
We've visited this well-seasoned '53 Chevy sedan delivery once before. I first saw it two years ago, parked in front of a repair shop in rural Illinois. It's still there, getting a little more rusty and listing a bit further to the right as the tires deflate.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Six Taillights
Originally introduced in 1958, the Impala was Chevrolet's new top-of-the line model, positioned above the now famous Bel Air. Six small taillights were a styling hallmark of the model, carried through to the model's end in the 70's.
This one's a '60.
This one's a '60.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Fading Glory
I forget which Duaflex I used on this-the 4 maybe? Both of them have great viewfinders-very bright.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Biscayne
Introduced in 1958, the Biscayne was an entry level version of Chevrolet's full-sized line of cars, coming in under the more upscale Bel-Air. As such, the Biscayne had fewer chrome gewgaws outside, and fewer optional convenience items and vinyl trim on the inside.
This didn't mean that it was a less desirable car, though. The Biscayne's simpler trim changed the look of the car, and better yet you could get it with any engine option-from a straight six grocery getter to the 348 V-8 mill with a four-speed, creating a nice drag car in the process.
This Biscayne is a '58, and had been hot rodded a bit at some point.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Cad Nebula
I seem to have found several old Cadillacs through the years, or they have found me. This is a '62-ish sedan.
I thought the rust spot around the logo looked like a bit nebula-esque. The title was a tossup between this and "The Pillars of Cadillac", which wouldn't make sense if you didn't know about the "Pillars of Creation".
Monday, February 13, 2012
Hydra-Matic
Long retired, this Oldsmobile is still complete, parked in a corner of a farm. It's one of several vintage vehicles parked here, most likely left when they broke down or simply outlived their usefulness.
This car is interesting as it's a '41, and one of the first Series 60 models, which began Olds' tradition of cars with numbers for names. This one's a sedan, with it's distinct fastback body shape, and has the Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, the first fully automatic transmission in a mass-produced automobile.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Viking
A vintage Chevrolet Viking truck. Like most everything in this yard, parked for unknown reasons and left to go to ground.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Snowy Glory
The Old Rusty Cadillac, wearing a fresh coating of snow. I seldom manage to get out here first, before other people walk around it and leave footprints or wipe the snow off. It was nice to do so, just this one time. I tried to not leave footprints all over the place.
I also like how the melted bits on the windshield and grille form a smiley face. It was a fleeting smile, too, as it warmed up and rained the next day.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Chevrolet
My first post of the new year, from one of my last photos of the old. This Chevy truck sits disused and abandoned, surrounded by old trucks and tractors in various states of disrepair. Many of them, like this one-tonnner complete with shelling apparatus on the flatbed, look like they were parked when the owner retired. Others look like they suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure and were towed to a far corner and left for dead. All of them are classics, the newest being a mid sixties pickup.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Ramble On
Famous for being a car that goes very fast in second gear*, the Nash Rambler was a popular car in the compact segment. Sold under both the Nash and Hudson names, the model was discontinued in 1955, the new car featured modified Nash "Airflyte" styling, to better integrate with senior Nash models. This, in combination with economical engines and a low price, helped the Rambler to be the first really popular American compact car, and it remained in production until 1955, not long after the formation of American Motors Corporation.
In 1957, AMC was in need of a compact car, something to slot in between the tiny two seat Metropolitan and the larger family sized Rambler Six. Fortunately, AMC had retained the previous model's tooling and it was a fairly simple job to update the styling. The "new" car made it's debut in 1958 as the Rambler American.
The American was well reviewed, praised for it's low price and economy, and proved to be a popular car throughout it's three year lifespan. In 1961, all new styling appeared, ending the Rambler's visual links to earlier "Airflyte" Nashes.
*a reference to the Playmate's 1958 song "Beep Beep".
Monday, October 31, 2011
Ultramatic
A 1952 or 3 Packard sedan. I think it's a 300 or maybe a Patrician, but there were no badges to suggest this. It was sporting an Ultramatic automatic transmission, though.
I found this car in a tiny rural town in Illinois, parked in front of a rundown repair shop amidst a complex of grain silos. I don't know how long it sat there but I went by a few weeks later and it was gone. I've said it before, it's best to just stop and look when you get the chance.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Ask The Man Who Owned One
Once more, a rusty Packard. Sadly, this is an eulogy of sorts. This car, and several others we've seen have been removed from their rural location, to points unknown.
I'd stumbled across this collection by accident-railroad tracks run very close to this property, and I was driving over a bridge to cross the tracks, when I looked off to the side and spotted one of the cars. Being an inquisitive boy, I pulled a uey and went back.
What looked like an old lawn mower repair shop turned out to have several outbuildings, and a big open space with a bunch of old cars in it. Not just old cars, but old classic cars-rare ones, too. In addition to this Packard (a badly accident damaged Four Hundred), were a Studebaker GT Hawk (with the R2 engine option), a Kaiser Manhattan, four Crosleys, four more Packards hidden in the bushes, and probably a couple of cars I can't remember.
Anyway, I made several trips to this location, and shot hundreds of frames of the various cars, in winter, summer, with different lenses, TtV, the works. I found it endlessly inspiring.
It's gone now. I last visited in April, and got some good stuff. The buildings are empty now-some even open to the elements-and there's nothing to tell what once stood in the weeds. It's almost like I imagined it.
I'd stumbled across this collection by accident-railroad tracks run very close to this property, and I was driving over a bridge to cross the tracks, when I looked off to the side and spotted one of the cars. Being an inquisitive boy, I pulled a uey and went back.
What looked like an old lawn mower repair shop turned out to have several outbuildings, and a big open space with a bunch of old cars in it. Not just old cars, but old classic cars-rare ones, too. In addition to this Packard (a badly accident damaged Four Hundred), were a Studebaker GT Hawk (with the R2 engine option), a Kaiser Manhattan, four Crosleys, four more Packards hidden in the bushes, and probably a couple of cars I can't remember.
Anyway, I made several trips to this location, and shot hundreds of frames of the various cars, in winter, summer, with different lenses, TtV, the works. I found it endlessly inspiring.
It's gone now. I last visited in April, and got some good stuff. The buildings are empty now-some even open to the elements-and there's nothing to tell what once stood in the weeds. It's almost like I imagined it.
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